Elevated railway



(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 1. J.N.VA LLEY.

ELEVATED RAILWAY.

No. 511,179. Patented Deo. 19, v1893.

/NI/ENTOH A FTOHNEYS.

om Mm E m W {No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J.N.VALLBY. ELEVATED RAILWAY.

No. 511,179. Peptented'Deo. 19, 1893.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

THE NATIONAL LlTNoanAFmNa oonPANY.

wAsMlNaox, n. c.

UNITnD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHNN. VALLEY, F JERSEY CTiY, NEW JERSEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 511,179, dated December 19, 1893. j

Application filed September 13, 1892. Renewed November 13, 1893. Serial No.49G,846. (No model.)

Eb all whoml t may concern,

Be it known that I, JOHN N. VALLEY, of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Elevated Railway, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to that class of railways in which the track 'is supported in elevated position from supporting posts, the

The invention is distinguished by an ad-` justable support for the track whereby the point of connection with the posts may be made higher or lower, as desired, to level the track.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a railway structure embodying my invention showing cars thereon, and lillustrating different forms of my improved adjustable connections. Fig. 2-is a' detail in transverse section on a larger scale, showing one means of connecting the girder to the .posts. Fig. 3 is also a detail view thereof, in longitudinal section. Fig. LL is a broken plan view illustrating the means shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view illustrating a modification; and Fig. 6 is a broken plan view of the device shown in Fig. 5.

The supporting posts A, are preferably inclined as shown, and are unconnected with each other, except by vertically adjustable girders B or B', hereinafter to be described, from which girders the longitudinal Stringer Gis supported and in turn supports the suspended track proper D.

As shown at the left of Fig. 1, and in Figs.

1 to 4, the adjustable girder Bis of wood,

able connection ot' the girder to the posts is effected with this form of girder by means of U-bolts h, which embrace the posts and pass through the girder, the ends of thev U- bolts being threaded and provided with nuts b', for tightening the U-bolts and thus firmly clamping the girder in place. It will be observed that the two U-bolts at each end are not quite in vertical alignment, the upper one being slightly farther inward than the lower one,thereby forming a somewhat diagonal passage-way for the post to correspond with the inclined position of the latter. By this construction it will be seen that by loosening the nuts of the U -boits, the girder B and with it the Stringer G and track D may be moved higher up or lower down on the posts A. to suit the level of the ground, the incline of the posts being made to correspond.

With the Wooden girder B, connection of the Stringer C is preferably eected with the under side of the girder by means of a boltb2 which passes through the girder and Stringer, and through a plate b3 Where the meeting ends of the strin ger sections are joined at the girder, the plate being secured to the girder by bolts b4. The track D is suspended from the Stringer by hanger bolts d.

At the right of Fig. l and in Figs. 5 and 6, is illustrated a modification in which a metallic girder B is employed.- This gir-der consists of a plate B2, formed at the ends into half sections B3 of a clamp, the clamp being completed by the separate half section B4. The clamps thus formed are inclined to correspond with the inclination of the posts A, and

as the latter are generally round natural logs, Y

the clamp is made preferably diamond shape in horizontal section, this angular conformation having a bettter clamping effect on the round post than would a round clamp. The clamp sections B3, B4, are held together and tightened on theposts by bolts and nuts b5, and by loosening the nuts the girder may be placed higher or lower on the posts as the irregularities of the ground may necessitate.

With the metallic girder the Stringer C is preferably secured on top of the same by means of a bolt h which passes vertically through the Stringer and through a central enlargement bl, formed on the girder. The track D is suspended from the Stringer by bolts d as in the form first described.

It will readily be understood that the` adj ustabli ty of the track supporting girders affords a ready means of grading the track to compensate for ordinary irregularities of the ground, and that the grading may be eected by unskilled labor and with dispatch by merely placing the posts in position and after adjusting the position of the girder firmly clamping the posts in place,k

Having thus fully described my invention, I claimas new and desire to Secure by Letters Patentt l. In an elevated railway, the combination of supporting posts arranged in pairs at an angle to each other girders vertically adjustable on said posts, their ends projecting be l yond the latter and clamps embracing the posts and including bolts engaging the ends of the girders both outside the posts, and at the inside of the latter, substantially as described.

2. In an elevated railway, the combination of supporting posts arrangedgin pairs at an angle 4to each 'ot-her, girders vertically adjustable on said posts, their ends extending at opposite sides of the posts and projecting beyond the latter, and clamps embracing the posts and engaging the ygirder both at the ontside and inside of the posts, substantially as described.

3. In an elevated railway, the combination of supporting posts, arranged in pairs, inclined toward each other, and vertically adjustable g-irders projecting beyond the posts and forming clamp sections, separate clamp sections mating the ends of the girders, and bolts uniting such separate sections to the girders both at the inside of the posts andthe outside thereof, substantially as described.

JOHN N. VALLEY.

Witnesses:

GEORGE BARNETT, FRANK A. GooDNoW. 

